ARTST TLK Ep. 5

Henry Rollins, lead singer of Black Flag, joins Pharrell Williams to talk about everything from personal anger to his musical influences. Rollins tells the story of how he became the lead singer of Black Flag and what has led him to writing and spoken word. He talks about rebelling against close-minded, authoritarian punk crowds and his decision not to use drugs or alcohol. And he explains the rush of holding an crowd’s attention and his respect and love for his audience.

According to E! Online, Beyoncé and André 3000 will be covering the late Amy Winehouse’s “Back To Black” for the forthcoming adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. While Winehouse’s original is great, a record company source said that the cover is a “very different take” on the song. Needless to say, we’re looking forward to hearing the soundtrack in its entirety, especially considering thatJay-Z is composing the score for the film. The Great Gatsby will premiere on May 15. (source: PigeonsAndPlanes)

Jesse Nolan, the bands founder and leader, on the “Sleeping at Night” video:

“The ‘Sleeping at Night’ video, is, like everything I seem to do, a love letter to Los Angeles. Truthfully, there are so many faces to Los Angeles, so many split personalities, that you never run out of people to fall in love with. It necessitates documentation.

“Some of the people in the video I just ran into on the street in the fashion district downtown. Others I’ve known for years, a few for my whole life. Russ Tamblyn, who holds the rather legendary status of having played Riff in the original film Westside Story, has been a family friend since I can remember. My Great Aunt Carol, who has an amazing fashion sense, I’ve also known since birth.

“When I had the thought to make a humanist video for this song, I naturally cycled through all the people in my life who I think are incredible in some way, to mine their strong personalities to tell my story. Performance artist Nicole Disson makes an appearance, as well as my friend Carl, an elderly gentleman who always comes to see my dad’s band play dressed to the nines.

“The lyrics of the song were not necessarily inspired by the struggle of the every man. In fact, some lines were inspired by frustration at dear friends who couldn’t get their shit together. But the overall spirit of the song is one that’s optimistic. It’s about wanting to see people do their best.”

“Los Angeles emcee/producer Blu’s much talked about album, York, which has seemingly been delayed for years, has finally arrived. The 14-track LP, which was formerly known as NoYork, is now available for digital purchase, limited edition vinyl order and free streaming here at The DJBooth.

With feature appearances from notable guests like Pac Div and J*Davey, in addition to production stylings from veterans like Exile, Flying Lotus, Madlib, Shafiq Husayn and more, it is no wonder that some are calling York a masterpiece.”